To Dance with Him
by shuusetsu
Summary: "Dance as if no one's watching...but me." Usami Akihiko never believed in the saying 'love your partner when you're on the floor dancing'. It was contrary to the many who dances professional Waltz. Misaki taught him otherwise.
1. Step 1

author's note: this story is supposed to be a long shot (i spent my entire weekend writing this and it's complete already ) (6 chapters)! yey! but since it's so long i decided to divide it and update every chapter one at a time. i hope you give it a try! i must say, this is kind of the lightest one i wrote, less drama, more fluff^^ENJOY AND PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!

* * *

**To Dance with Him**  
**-Step 1-**

_"Dear Me,_

_I am heading out for Tokyo right now. Actually as I look out the train, I could only see plain rice fields miles and miles across. It's like looking into a golden sea with its grains swaying with the air. I feel a little poetic right now because I am venturing to something ridiculously impossible._

_No matter how lonely I feel about doing this, I've set myself that I'd do this even if it's the last thing I'd do. I already have accepted my mother's death. I've already spent two years of being depressed and I have to move on. I at least wanted to fulfil mom's dream though._

_That's to dance. To dance in the glittery world of Dancesport. You know, my mom was once called the "Queen of Budoukan"? I don't know how awesome that is but apparently she's great in dancing._

_I say ridiculous because I don't even know how to dance. I can only jump up and down during Natsumatsuri and stomp my feet not even in beat. I don't have any strings of DNA about dancing from my mom._

_So a friendly neighbor, a grandpa, said that he could recommend me to a dance school in Tokyo, provided I work as a cleaner of the dance studios. So here I am, on my way to the capital._

_I wonder how I'd do? The people in town said Tokyo people are harsh and blunt and straight forward...I am scared. But more than that I am extremely excited. My mom told me I had a brother. But I have never seen him even once. You see my parents divorced when mom didn't even know yet that I am already being formed inside her. And since she wasn't really capable that time, the custody for my so-called brother went to my father._

_I'd look for them too. So that's like hitting two birds with one stone, right?_

_I don't know how to dance, but if that will make my mom in heaven proud, then I'd do it. After all, my mom used to say that my father fell in love with her because she was a great dancer. Now why didn't I get any ounce of that talent at all?_

_There's one problem though. The grandpa who recommended me told them I was a girl. Because they were looking for someone to be trained as a 'follow' and not a 'lead'._

_That is another concern of mine. Granpa next door said, "Ah, Misaki-kun...I mean...Misaki-chan...you look like a boyish girl the way you look right now. So it's okay!"_

_He said that while laughing. I wonder if he's bullying me or what? Anyway I don't have a problem with that because in the local all-boy's high school I attended, I am always forced to play Snow white, Cinderella and all those princesses during school festivals. I even played Sadako in a horror house. It's not a big deal, but it gets on my nerves sometimes. I wanted to be manly but each year I don't see any growth spurt! Have I stopped growing? Will I stay like this forever?_

_But then this opportunity came like I said. So I guess the way I look right now had become a blessing._

_Oh! It's lunch time now so I'd go eat my packed onigiris. About three more hours and I'm already in Tokyo. My first time._

_I wish...I get a girlfriend. (that's my secret agenda for going to Tokyo LoL). They said that dancing is one of the most erotic art of human form that can draw strong emotions._

__wait! I am going to be a 'follow'...so how in the world will I get to fall in love openly when I am in that school?! Pretending to be a girl is a pain in the ass...but it's a one in a lifetime opportunity to be taught with free lodging! (though it's just a store room of the building)_

_Argh...I am getting a head ache now. Probably because I am hungry. So till then..._

_Blog entry - Journey to the City._  
_-Takahashi Misaki_

* * *

The teen re-read his entry into his phone and grinned before pressing "post" into the blog site called ameblo. Though he just saved it as 'private'. He had this hopeful smile on his lips as he inserted his phone back into his huge, brown leather duffel bag. The sky was clear and he could imagine the soothing breeze playing along the ricefields. Nothing could go wrong. He believed. He had his bag, his food, his phone and some cash and his burning fire in him into diving into the bright life of the city.

But as the townspeople had said, people in Tokyo might not be that scary, but they were complicated to deal with. It was like they're speaking a different language for a young man coming from the farthest parts of Nagoya.

Where Misaki came from, it couldn't be called as a secluded place. It just so happened that Misaki's mom seemed to have tried to keep her precious son away from the harsh city life and thus lived a simple yet fulfilling living in the farthest town.

Time wise, Misaki could have used the Shinkansen Bullet train and within almost two hours, he'd be in Tokyo right away. But the teen chose to use the local trains which take 6 hours from Nagoya to Tokyo accompanied by changing trains a couple of times. For Misaki, he needed that ample time to feel that he was really leaving his home town and venturing to something bigger.

"Approaching, Shinjuku. The doors to the right side will open...Approaching, Shinjuku..."

Sleeping like a log, the brunette curled in a fetal position on his seat and just grunted. He turned to the side facing the windows. Meanwhile, all the passengers had been walking in the aisle a little loudly. A tall man had noticed the teen almost drooling on his seat, on top of his bag was a ticket that said end destination "Tokyo-Shinjuku".

"Eh...is this his first time here?" the man mumbled. He had a fine built, hair reaching almost his shoulder blades and his glasses gave him the 'mature look'.

He didn't want to be nosy and he wasn't even the type to put his worry about others and after a long look at the brunette, he decided to walk away.

"But it would be too bad for him to get lost in a maze of train stations...right?" he asked scratching his head. Sighing defeatedly, the man walked over to Misaki's seat and tapped the boy on the shoulder.

"Hey...hey...wake up. It's Shinjuku already," he called, shaking the boy a little harder. "God he's sleeping like there's no tomorrow...HEY!"

Misaki peeked with his one eye, the other still closed. It seemed like he wasn't still in his senses. Lazily he looked to his left and right, then his green eyes darted on the unfamiliar face looming over him.

"Oi, if you don't hurry, the doors will be closing."

"Huh?" he blinked a couple of times and turned his head towards the window.

The man could see the utter shock on the boy's face as if he just couldn't believe himself.

"YABAI! I'm in Tokyo already?" he asked nervously, not knowing what to do first; stand up from his seat or stare at the window or ran towards the exit.

"The doors will be closing..."

"Tsk...I think you're still asleep. Come!" the good samaritan grabbed Misaki's duffel bag in one hand while securing his own baggage with the other. Still the half-asleep dumb that Misaki was, he thought the guy was stealing his belongings and off he ran after the guy. Barely making it in time before the train's sliding doors close and trap them inside to the next station.

"Oi! Gi-give it back!" Misaki shouted, finally 100% awake.

Turning on his heels, the tall, good samaritan threw the bag to Misaki, serious all of a sudden.

"Na, lost boy, if you keep dazing in the wilderness, you'll be finished soon. So keep your eyes open," he turned and started walking away. "Tokyo isn't very gentle to newbies like you, you know. Ja na..."

Misaki's face grew red from shock. "Lo-lost boy?! I am not a kid!"

But before Misaki could follow the tall guy, a wave of passengers blocked his way like how a herd of buffalos in the middle of a desert would, blocking a car's tracks.

"What is up with him?! Calling me like that at this age!" With a frown, the teen adjusted his bag on his shoulders and started looking around him. It was full of people passing in all directions. It seemed like a walking maze.

"Where's the exit?" he mumbled as his eyes studied the not-so-helpful map over his head. Colorful lines didn't help. For a lazy reader, it was like figuring an encrypted message in that representation. "I just arrived...but I already feel tired..."

After looking out into the endless see of people in that underground train station, the teen deciced that sitting there in a corner wouldn't bring him to anywhere. Besides, he was already hungry. And so, gathering his wits, he just went into the first exit sign he saw, hoping that his instincs was right.

Black. Hot. And noisy. Misaki's mouth was gaping at the night sky above his head and the sweltering heat of the summer night.

"I...I didn't think it's already evening! I lost track of time...did I really space out in that corner for two hours?!" he questioned himself. It was so like him. He would seat in one corner and drift off to some place as if sleeping while his eyes were wide open. Before he knew it, time had slipped off. That was how he got off from boring classes before and it turned out to be a really destructive habit.

He had calculated he'd arrive in Tokyo about four in the afternoon so that would leave him enough time to look for the dance school and introduce himself and settle in. But the glaring electronic clocks he could see from almost everywhere was saying six fifteen.

_Way to go digging my own grave, me!_

Face crumpled in an unpleasant frown, the teen started searching for a place to eat. There were a lot so he just had to choose. He kept on walking deeper into the streets to look for a place where there wasn't much people. He had to change. At least change into a little more girlish shirt under his thin jacket.

He saw a fastfood chain and hurriedly went into the men's room while ducking his head. And as he sniffed the scent of bathroom refreshener, he frowned at the pink shirt he had taken out from his duffel bag.

"That grandpa is really something," Misaki mumbled looking at the print of the shirt that said 'Girl Power!'. "This feels like sailor moon transforming into something before battle mode. I can't believe I am doing this!"

He gripped his own red shirt and pulled it off over his head and changed into the pink shirt. Having his jacket would hide the absence of breasts.

The teen kicked open the cubicle door and almost cringed at the sight of himself in the mirror. He walked towards the sink and sighed. "Hahaha...would people really believe I am a girl like this? Aren't Tokyo people sharp?"

_"Listen Misaki-chan, the trend in Tokyo nowadays are these boys called 'bishounen' or 'ikemen'. Sometimes boys look prettier than even a girl would! The line between girls and boys are so thin and by the looks of it, you can either be a very cute girl or a very cute guy. It depends on how you dress yourself! So no one would notice! Just say you have a surfboard chest when someone asks you!"_

Misaki smiled ruefully as he remembered the energetic explanation of the grandpa next door where he used to live. "That old man, how come he even knows about these trends? He's so well informed it's creepy!"

Misaki's smile turned even more mournful. _"Ah, to finish the wardrobe, don't forget to put on this fourleaf clover hair clip!"_ Misaki remembered how excitedly the old man waived the hairclip that belonged to his granddaughter. _"That's a goodluck charm!"_

The teen exhaled and clipped the small accessory on the side of his head. That clip made all the difference surprisingly. Misaki blinked at the mirror. He might have a straighter figure compared to most teenage girls but one could just pass it as being a late bloomer. Looking back at the wide green eyed being in front of the mirror, Misaki had to question if the gods had a second thought of whether making him a girl or a boy at the last minute. That was why he was so under developed.

"Oi, Hora, this is the men's room you know?" a middle aged man exclaimed before turning into one of the cubicles.

"Hai?" Misaki asked dumbfounded.

"Nee-chan, this is the men's rest room. The women's is on the other side. Mou kids these days..."

Suddenly bells ringing all around him, Misaki grabbed his bag and ran out of the men's room. People passing by looking at him and whispering. His heart was beating loudly. His mouth was really parched but his lips was slowly curling into a smile.

"That was a success right?" he whispered excitedly. "I was just standing there but that Ojii-san thought I was a girl," Misaki clenched his fists in victory while looking for a seat so he can order. "This will work. This will really work!"

* * *

"This will not work!"

Misaki was drenched in sweat, walking endlessly into the maze of high rise buildings. He had been looking for "STU Dance School". His lead? Only a picture. The school apparently didn't have a sign outside or something. And to Misaki's eyes, everything just looked damned the same.

And the address? Being so excited earlier, he had taken out the piece of paper with the address while eating, only to have it thrown together with the tissues he had used, cursing himself as an eternal idiot.

"I can't go on...it's nine already...my toes are killing me..." he muttered wiping the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. "More so...is my bag really this heavy?! It feels like it gained 20 pounds..."

As he continued walking, he saw a man near an light post smoking. His back was facing him and as Misaki started inching forward, the insects dancing around the lamp post became more visible. But the man seemed to not care. He was even tapping his foot while smoking as if he was dancing with them.

"Uhm...excuse me Sir..." Misaki started. He really didn't want to ask someone for directions because when his mom was still alive, she would always say don't rely to others specially those he didn't know. But at that rate, if Misaki continued being stubborn, he was so sure his feet would start running off away from him. He knew if his toes could just talk, they would have been screaming at him for him to go and die. "Ah...I think I am lost..."

The man turned his head. But he saw no one.

_'Oi don't ignore me!'_ Misaki frowned. "Sir?"

"Eh?" the man then lowered his gaze and that was when he realized that there was indeed someone calling out to him. Because he was tall, his field of vision was a little higher compared to others. He narrowed his eyes behind his glasses and a look of surprise slowly took place on his face.

"Lost boy?"

"Lo-lost boy?...EHHHHHH?" Misaki backed away a little. "You're the guy earlier!"

The good samaritan smiled at Misaki after a couple of surprised glaring. "But uhm, can I ask you a question?"

Misaki just stared.

"Why are you dressed like that?" his cigarette in between his fingers, he eyed Misaki curiously. "You're...a male aren't you?"

The teen gulped and looked uncomfortable for a little while before opening his mouth. "It's for work," he answered softly.

"Oh...work...I see...then...why are you here?" the man asked pushing his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Like I said...I...I am lost..."

"Aww, you poor thing. Alright, this Onii-san here will help you out. So where are you headed?"

Misaki lowered his head and shyly mouthed "STU Dance School".

And the good samaritan's cigarette fell on the ground. "Oi...what's your name?!"

* * *

Misaki found himself sitting, finally on a decent white sofa. The room looked empty but the cool breeze the airconditioners offered was more than he could as for. There was a small bed, a small cabinet and a lot of worn out shoes sticking under the bed. In between his hands was a can of soda care of the good samaritan.

"I'm sorry...I just dragged you here in my place without introducing myself," the tall man muttered, sitting on his neat bed.

"I'm Sumi. Sumi Keiichi. I just snapped when you mentioned your name..." he continued running his hand over his face in exasperation. "I just couldn't believe my grandfather got me! I was the one who passed admission papers for a certain someone named 'Takahashi Misaki' at STU Dance school. I clearly told him we are looking for a 'follow'! That idiot grandfather..."

The teen slowly took the fourleaf clover clip off his head and gripped it tightly in his fists. The show even hasn't began and it already ended for him. What kind of luck was he having to have one of the instructors at STU Dance school be the one he would run off to?

Sumi sighed. "Don't tell me, the reason you changed into that, is because..."

"I'm sorry..." Misaki mumbled wanting to die of embarrassment. "I knew all along that the school is looking for a 'follow'...a female...but I figured I could just pretend."

Sumi took his glasses off and started cleaning it with his handkerchief. "Don't look like its the end of the world, Takahashi-kun. I bet it's my weird grandfather who fed you with the idea," he consoled. He stole a glance at Misaki before looking back at his glasses. "Even I couldn't almost make the difference..." he added.

"Huh?"

"Nothing...I was just talking to myself," Sumi assured the teen and then placed his glasses back on. "So then Takahashi-kun, I already mentioned to you I am a dance instructor at that school and that the Dancesport department is looking for a female to be trained as a follow. That's where you come in...I even already had your papers signed by the admissions people...but you are a male..."

"I know...sorry for the trouble."

"Tsk..." Sumi frowned as if thinking deeply. "Just continue like this."

Misaki almost dropped the can off his hands in surprise. "Huh? Continue...me being as a 'follow'?"

"Yup," the older man replied. "The reason we are looking for a 'follow' in training is because the regular dancer fell on her bike and had to cement her left leg. To be blunt, we're looking for a replacement or a stand in. The doctors said she'd be fine long before the competition season started. But her partner didn't want to take chances. And suggested that we train another 'follow' just in case."

At what he heard, Misaki felt a little hope. If he would be able to pull this, he could have free lodging, allowance and could start looking for his brother, but he was still bothered.

"Are you okay with that...if I get found out...you'll be in trouble, Sumi-san..."

"I prefer the younger kids call me 'Sumi-senpai'...'Sumi-san' makes me feel so old!" he joked. But after seeing Misaki's worry on his face, he decided to be serious like he should.

"To tell you, that girl's partner, the 'lead' is really picky. He didn't even give the other 'follows' at the school a chance. He rejected them all and said he didn't like superficial people. So when my grandfather called in that he has someone to recommend and I told him, he said 'well yeah let's see'. Originally you'd be trained under him but if he rejects you, I could just absorb you in the Traditional Dancing Department, that's where I teach...I don't think you'll be found out...if you are careful though."

There was a long silence. The airconditioners filling the tense air.

"So...I know you have your own reasons biting into my freak of a grandfather's suggestion...and I won't pry into it. But will you still continue? You could just go into my department and you don't have to pretend to be anyone. But then I'll have to explain to the Dancesport department that you had backed out at the last minute..."

"Sumi-sa...Sumi-senpai...it's okay," Misaki cut in. "Thank you for your consideration, but you see...I am really aiming for the Dancesport...so even if I am just a stand in...I still wanted to get a go of it."

The man smiled with a little disappointment in his eyes that the teen didn't notice. "I get it. My lips are sealed," he stood from his bed and went to his cabinet to get an extra futon. "We can just both go ahead and beat my grandfather into a pulp for plotting this," he muttered, grinning at Misaki who had instantly felt comfortable towards the man.

After all, Misaki was feeling really grateful that he bumped into the grandchild of the helpful and freaky grandfather living next to them in Nagoya. Truthfully he thought it'd be the worst, but seeing the man as kind like the grandfather back in his home town, he felt at ease. He could even see some resemblance between the grandfather and this "Sumi-senpai".

"So you can take the bed and I'd sleep on the sofa and tomorrow I'd introduce you as 'Misaki-chan'...okay? Go take a shower and sleep. It's going to be hellish tomorrow..."

* * *

Misaki insisted on taking the sofa though and when both of them were tucked in their respective places, Misaki found himself starting to really get nervous. It was as if he was some kind of a character in a comedic film or something with ridiculous circumstances. After all, these pretending pretending stuff, he only saw it on TV. There was even this show he followed called Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, where the girl pretended to be a guy so she could meet her love in an all-boy's school.

"Argh..." he smiled stupidly under the dim lighting of the small room. "I am the opposite though...a guy pretending to be a girl. I think a girl pretending to be a guy is a lot easier..." he thought then he turned to look at the sleeping form on the bed across his sofa where he was.

"Sumi-senpai?" he called softly, testing if the guy was still awake or already asleep.

"Hmmm?" a low reply from the man.

"What kind of person is the one who'll train me...my so-called temporary partner?"

The teen heard the bed creak as the one on top of it turned to his side. Sumi looked at Misaki, his eyes reflecting the yellowish glint of the lampshade.

"I am going to be honest with you...I am not fond of him," he answered like his response was already recorded and programmed to be that way. "He's a perfectionist, well I couldn't blame him. He's really a great performer and he'd been performing with Aida-san for the last three years. Oh, Aida-san is the one who have to have her left foot cemented..." Sumi explained in a hushed voice. "Ma, I have to say though that I like that he doesn't believe that only professionals should replace pros. He's willing to train newbies that's why you're accepted."

"I am going to give you a heads up...he's a strict man who doesn't allow mistakes. He's sharp tongued and well...always expecting for the best results...so there. Just be as charming as you are and I don't see any problem with the other people in the Dancesport Department."

"Char...ming?" Misaki repeated but didn't thought much of it as he drifted to a dreamless sleep.

"Usami Akihiko...that's his name...you better remember th-Takahashi-kun?" he propped his head on one of his hands and stared at Misaki across him. "Ah well...you must be really tired. Sleep well...Misaki."

* * *

**chapter end notes:**

**dance sport olympics of ball room dancing**

**follow the female role**

**lead the male lead**

**THANKS FOR THE TIME^^ **

**-SHUUSETSU**


	2. Step 2

**To Dance with Him**  
**-step 2-**

* * *

Misaki couldn't help but feel a little conscious. Sure he was wearing lose sweat pants and a very cutesy sleeveless shirt under a thin, striped jacket with his fringes clipped on the side of his face, but the thing that was really making him nervous was if he would be able to fool this 'partner' of his.

Misaki had the urge to look down on the floor as Sumi led him to the STU Dance School building. It was a nine-storey building, modern and almost everywhere Misaki looked, there were mirrors. It just reminded him of his crossdressing spree.

_"Calm down...the man in the fastfood thought you're a girl like this...it's alright..."_ Misaki cheered himself waiving imaginary pompoms inside his head.

_"Ah...I have to do something with my voice...a little softer perhaps?"_ Misaki thought, rubbing his neck lightly.

A girl in black tights with her jacket wrapped around her waist ran to Sumi.

"Sumi-senpai...ohayo!" she greeted happily, then looking over Misaki, she looked questioningly. "Who's she?"

Misaki almost laughed outloud. "Another one fooled..."

Even Misaki noticed the shaking on Sumi's shoulder. Perhaps from trying to stiffle a laugh. They were both sharing a secret anyway and somehow it felt funny and amusing.

"Ah...Yura-san...this is Misaki-k-chan..." Sumi introduced the two while smiling.

"Ah! The rumored 'temporary partner of the silver beast'! Hi! I am Kagami Yura! Just call me Yura okay?" she bowed enthusiastically.

Misaki knitted his brows. "Silver B-Beast?" he thought, suddenly looking up at the tall man beside him.

"Hora Yura-san, don't scare the kid here."

The young woman grinned a scary one before grabbing both Misaki's hands. "You see, the Silver Beast is really popular. And...you'll be spending so much time with him. So...please tell us trivias about him okay? Okay? Ahg but be careful though, he isn't called 'the Silver Beast' for nothing!" the girl continued. Misaki could only smile back uncomfortably.

"But you know...when he dances and leads his partner...it looks so dreamy as if the beast had turned into a prince. So gentle, so passionately he carries his partner with care like she's the most precious thing in the world. Ah be careful not to fall for him Misaki-chan! No No no!" she wiggled her fingers in front of the teen. "Many did and all ended up broken hearted. So if you don't want to grovel on the dance floor, just admire him, don't love him. Okay? Okay?"

Misaki nodded vigorously. He couldn't almost follow the energy of the girl. And besides, how could he fall in love with a guy in the first place?

Sumi took a step forward between Yura and Misaki. Pushing the young woman away gently while chuckling, Sumi winked at Misaki.

"Oi, oi...Misaki-chan will get nervous with all what you're saying. Tell the others I'll be in the studio a little later. I'll have to introduce our new member to the others first."

"Eh...I want to chat more..."

"No, go or I'll make you rehearse for another two hours than necessary," Sumi threatened.

Once the girl had left the two, Misaki sighed a deep one looking rattled. The lobby where they were was getting busier by the minute. Young men and women with huge bags on their backs, middle aged people too who seemed to be the instructors and others started going in and out of the building. Everyone seemed so lively as if their battery will never run out.

Sumi followed Misaki's gaze and patted the teen on the shoulder as if he just saw what was running inside Misaki's head.

"It's always like this every morning because they're still full of energy. Wait until lunch to afternoon and these very same people will be crawling out of the building."

"Ah...okay..."

The two started walking once more. On their way, Misaki even got to see a glimpse of dance practices going on. Those who even use their heads to whirl on the floor like a tornado. People breakdancing, people dancing as if they were drunks. Technically, these dances were divided into their own genres and divisions. Misaki didn't expect how a dance could be so much different from another. It seemed like it was representing their personalities and who they were.

And when he looked straight ahead and saw the sign, Misaki felt like wanting to run back. He couldn't shake the thought of a 'silver beast'. Not to mention he didn't know even the basics, he wondered if he would get out alive of that department. Misaki dragged his feet and lifted his gaze to the empty practice rooms.

He just realized that the DanceSport Department seemed more serious than the first departments he saw. He started to break in cold sweat.

Sumi who was wearing casual clothing knocked before pulling the sliding doors open. Sumi and Misaki entered and was welcomed by an empty practice room. The mirrors as wide as the wall reflected them. A mini casette on top of the table with a couple of bottled water was there. But other than that, there was none.

"Eh, I was told he's already waiting here," Sumi mumbled, turning his head left to right. "Misaki-chan, I'll go to the DS office so wait here okay? I'll be right back."

Misaki stiffened. He didn't want to be suddenly left alone in an unfamiliar place.

"Don't worry, you're doing fine..." he mumbled before walking past the teen.

After Sumi had left Misaki alone in that practice room, Misaki was washed over by nervousness. His felt like there were needles prickling on his skin as he stared at his whole body reflection through the mirror walls.

"Ah, what the hell am I doing being nervous like this...this is just temporary anyway...calm down...calm down..."

Misaki almost wanted to grab the cutesy clip off his hair but he stopped himself. It's part of the wardrobe anyway but having something stuck on his head felt weird. And so he sighed and walked over to the table. There were CD tapes scattered on it. But they were all blank so he didn't know what they were.

He took one and flipped it upside down and stared at them hard. Doing so took his worries away for a moment and he just became a regular being in waiting.

"What are you doing?"

Misaki stiffened and dropped the Cd case on the table with a thud. The voice sounded obviously, as clear as the day outside, annoyed.

"I said, what are you doing?"

Misaki turned to the voice coming from behind his back. _"Oh my god...the silver beast? He sure doesn't sound so happy..."_

All pictures of a huge man with white hair whirled in Misaki's mind. Someone wearing tights, looking sleezy and oily. However, Misaki found himself just blank when he saw the one talking to him.

The 'Silver Beast' walked towards Misaki and grabbed the CD on the table that the teen had dropped. Lavender eyes that turned to slits, he threw a look at the frozen teen and darted his eyes at the cassette.

"I don't want people touching my things without permission understood?"

Misaki's jaw must have been glued into place. He wanted to answer but his open mouth didn't release any sound.

Where was the silver beast? Where was the sleezy, oily, tights wearing man Misaki was imagining earlier? Getting a closer look at the man who just came in, Misaki couldn't describe him. How does another guy describes another guy anyway without sounding like a jealous jerk? But one thing Misaki was so sure of, the man was so cold like he was made of ice.

"Usami Akihiko's the name," the man muttered in a fast way surprising Misaki. "Be here two hours before regular classes, stay here two hours more after the classes ended. I hate whiny people and most of all, don't do anything unless I told you so."

There wasn't any response from Misaki so Usami looked at the teen questioningly with a raised brow.

"You're Takahashi Misaki right? Or are you mute?"

Misaki snapped back to reality and shook his head. "Uhm sorry, I...I understand everything you said."

Usami eyed the teen before him for a long time Misaki felt like he had been busted already. But when Usami turned his back at him, the teen was finally able to breath.

Tall, maybe a little taller than Sumi, Misaki had thought as he watched his 'partner' remove his coat and tossed it on the single chair in the room. Misaki was so glad he was pretending to be a girl at that time. He would totally feel so pathetic standing before a man like that. Usami was wearing a plain, black shirt and a white running pants and a regular shoes but the way he carried himself made all the difference.

More than Yura-san had said, the Silver Beast would be better called as the Silver Panthom or something like that.

"So, no experience whatsoever, correct?" Usami asked taking something out of his pocket before throwing it towards Misaki. The teen nervously caught it with both of his hands and when he looked down, it was a rubber band.

"Your hair is short but I don't want them hitting my face when you twirl so tie them up."

"Twirl?" Misaki repeated to himself as he started gathering his hair into a failed attemp to do pony tail.

"You'll learn the 'Standard' dance under me and I expect you to be professional," Usami approached Misaki and grabbed the boy's waist. "This dancing requires a lot of body contact and interpretations to be executed well and I would really be extremely pissed if you take me holding on to your waist as sexual harassment."

"Hai...hai..." Misaki nodded who had turned into as rigid as a rock.

"Takahashi..."

Misaki just stared at the tight fitting shirt against his partner's chest.

"I thought I would be training a person and not a statue. Relax."

_I want to die..._Misaki cried inside his head as he tried to relax. Surely a man's hand on another man's waist felt so weird. Not just that but Misaki wasn't even able to greet and introduce himself properly and this Usami Akihiko had turned to training mode right off the bat.

Usami released Misaki and crossed his arms over his chest. "Stand on one foot."

"Ha?"

"Do you have hearing problems?"

Misaki's face burned red. "No...none..."

The teen did try to stand on one foot but ended up falling after a couple of seconds. Usami just watched without a change of expression.

"Reach out to your toes without bending your knees," Usami ordered next.

Misaki did so and no matter how he tried to reach his toes, he couldn't. There were three inches left for him to reach the floor and he looked pathetic trying to reach it. Misaki thought his back would break.

"Next," Usami cut off which sent Misaki sighing in relief. "Do a split for me."

"A WHAT?!" Misaki suddenly blurted out unable to digest it. "S-split? Like, like this?" Misaki stretched out his arms on both sides.

"Yeah, like that. With your legs."

_IMPOSSIBLE!_ Misaki screamed silently.

After a tense minute and sweating like crazy and pondering how to do it, Misaki gave up and tried it remembering how he saw it on some TV programs. He had never felt so embarassed in his entire nineteen years of living on planet Earth.

"Not the flexible type, aren't we?" Usami concluded after Misaki had attempted to do that split, managing only to make a pathetic V on the floor.

"I can go only this far!" Misaki half shouted, half cried. "I have never done split and all those things ever...!"

Usami sighed and approached Misaki. There was no telling what was in the older man's mind but Usami bended his knees right there so the both of them could be on eye level.

"Then we'll have to do something about it."

"..." Misaki stared at the cold eyes before him and didn't like it. _"God...he's scary...he's really as beast..."_

* * *

Sumi took his strides back to the practice room where Misaki was waiting. He took time a little longer talking to the DS department to get Misaki's keys for the storage room converted into a lodging for Misaki. He bowed slightly in responce to the students he passed and he found himself stopping suddenly halfway.

"I can't...impossible!" Misaki grunted in full agony.

"I told you, just spread your legs wider. You were doing fine earlier."

"This...this is embarassing! Don't look!"

"Are you an idiot?" an impatient voice roared. "Where am I supposed to look? One wrong push and you'll be injured! Do it slowly, lower your hips carefully...breath in slowly..."

"Usami-san...this is really painful..." Misaki sounded almost like he was choking.

"It always will at the beginning."

"But...sensei...I'm breaking apart..."

"What did I tell you earlier? I hate whiny people so go ahead and be done with it!"

Some of the girls passing by the practice room even giggled.

"Oh if we don't know it's just stretching practice, it would definitely sound like a BL drama Cd..." the girl whispered to her companion.

"Uwah...are you serious, you still buy those things?" the other one with shorter hair asked blushing.

"Of course! Hahaha...I'll let you borrow one tonight..."

Sumi who watched the girls turn into a different practice room smiled to himself. He then looked at the glass doors of the practice room he was in earlier. He was right, Misaki was an amusing kid and he was sure happy to watch the teen. After watching for a couple of minutes, he went away, deciding to just give the keys during break time.

Usami was kneeling behind the brunette, his hands on the teen's shoulders, giving Misaki a slight push downwards while the teen attempted with all his best to stretch his legs for a split. So far, at least the V had become a wider V.

Misaki's sweat dropped on the floor as he ran after his breath. Usami had no mercy. The older man just up and forced him to do that right away. And Misaki was sure he would be walking home with his legs spread apart.

"Fine. You have a five-minute break."

The teen slumped on the floor breathing heavily. He was all sweaty and wanted to take off his jacket but he chose not to. Usami on the other hand looked unruffled as if he did nothing. Cool and composed, he took a bottle of water and drunk it in one gulp.

"To be able to dance gracefully, one should be flexible," Usami started lazily looking at his phone. "The follow had to bend and slide on the floor a lot than the lead so a flexible body is needed. I suggest you do stretching exercises more often."

"Hai..." Misaki answered, still a panting mess.

Usami inserted his phone back into his pants and started heading for the glass, sliding doors of the practice room. "I'll be getting something, we'll start once I return."

Misaki didn't even bother answering. He just stared at the ceiling before rolling to lay on his stomach.

"Agh...legs are you okay?" he mumbled. "I didn't know I am as rigid as this...I think I need to drink more milk...agh...it hurts..."

Misaki flapped his arms in irritation like he was flying. "I should have asked him to show a demonstration. Let's see how he does a 'split'...shit I can't move anymore..."

Usami had heard it all before closing the door.

* * *

It almost happened so fast that before Misaki could grasp all that was taking place, a week had already passed. Within that week, there was nothing but stretching excercises they did. During early morning, he'd practice with himself. During regular classes with other students, he watched and observed. After classes he'd spend another two hours with Usami AKihiko for more stretching and indept views about techniques and history of Dancesport. And after everyone has gone off home, Misaki would start cleaning the practice rooms assigned to him and there were ten of Misaki so busy for even stepping out of STU Dance School Building to search for his brother. He even barely gets a proper amount of sleep. He was dead busy and dead tired everyday and every night.

But as Sumi had expected, Misaki was so good at mingling with other people that everyone had treated Misaki as a long time friend. Though Misaki was still posing as a girl, seemed like no one was suspecting anything anyway so all was well.

But not to Misaki. Within that week, if there was one who seemed to have not opened up to him yet or accepted him fully, it was no other than his own 'partner' and instructor, Usami Akihiko.

"Why won't he at least chat with me, right?" Misaki thought while doing split for the millionth time that day. Usami at that time was just sitting on the sole chair, looking at the dark skies outside. "What is he looking out there anyway...emotional mode?"

The faint music for a background was playing. Misaki pouted as he caught a glimpse of his reflection through the mirrors. He hated trying to look like a girl for some reason more than he had before.

"Usami-san...I think I'm done with the split exercises..." Misaki started trying to get the man's attention.

Misaki hated to admit it but since it was only that gloomy, stubborn and saddistic guy giving him the cold treatment, he ended up always thinking about what could be the problem with the man. Before Misaki knew it, he realized he wanted to be friends with him.

Slowly, Usami turned his gaze at the teen with a bored face and then looked out the windows once more. "Practice balancing once more."

"Huh?" Misaki muttered, standing on his spot while tugging his pants.

"You'll wear high-heels for practice tomorrow. You need to brush on your sense of balance once more," Usami replied.

_"Cold..."_ Misaki thought, sheepishly watching the handsome profile of the man._ "His eyes are cold..."_

The sliding doors burst out open revealing a man in a business suit. He had a fine built, dark hair and blue eyes. "Usagi!"

That was when Misaki fell on his bottom as he stared at the 180 degree turn of Usami Akihiko's face. The gloomy, expresionless face had turned into a big, bright smile. It caught Misaki offguard as he watched the stranger who called Usami Akihiko as 'Usagi'. He found himself gaping at the two of them.

"Sorry...work has just gotten crazy but I got off early today!" the man greeted while throwing a manly hug at the silverhaired man which Usami accepted openly.

It was like Usami became oblivious to everything. That was what Misaki thought as he looked at the two of them so close and so comfortable with each other.

After a couple of exchanges that Misaki couldn't get a grasp of, the stranger turned to Misaki's direction, finally realizing that there was another one in that practice room.

"Could this be Aida-san's emergency stand in?" he said aloud with a happy smile.

"Yeah," Usami replied shortly.

The stranger walked towards Misaki and extended his hand. "Good evening. I'm Suho Takahiro...nice to meet you!"

The teen looked up at the warm smile and found himself reaching to the hand. When their skin met, Misaki felt a sort of shock. It could be called electricity running through his veins. Or more like the blood in his system started rushing faster than normal. And his heart began to beat fiercer.

"I'm...Takahashi...Misaki..." the teen replied robotically.

For a while Takahiro stared at Misaki's green eyes. When they released their grip on both hands, the older man named 'Takahiro' looked at his hand quietly.

"Strange...I felt like I was electrified..." he mumbled before smiling at Misaki, dismissing the sudden rush of excitement he felt.

"Takahiro, have you eaten yet?"

Standing propely, Takahiro loosened his tie before facing back his bestfriend. "I haven't yet...now that I think of it..."

Usami chuckled before getting his coat that was hanging at the back of the chair. "Dummy. Let's go grab something, it's been a while anyway."

The two older men headed out. It was Takahiro who turned to Misaki.

"Want to tag along? I bet that practicing could make you hungry like crazy!"

Misaki who was still on the floor darted his eyes at Usami standing behind Takahiro. Usami looked uninviting, Misaki had to lower his gaze on the floor.

"Ah...thank you...Suho-san...I still have more practices to do...maybe next time," Misaki politely rejected, having a bitter after taste in his mouth.

Genuinely disappointed, Takahiro waived and gently closed the door, living the teen alone and hungry inside the practice room.

_"He's different...he's different towards that man..._" Misaki whispered as he looked at the chair where Usami was sitting earlier._ "It's like he'd become a different person altogether...They are in first name basis even...why..."_

Misaki slapped his chest with his right hand a couple of times as if something was caught in it.

"I need water..." mistaking the tightening his chest as thirst.

* * *

**chapter end notes:**

**thank you for your time! ^^**

**even i can't imagine usagi-san doing split (body position in gymnastics where both legs are spread wide apart)! hahaha**

**-shuusetsu**


	3. Step 3

**To Dance with Him**  
**-step 3-**

* * *

At that time, Misaki was in the middle of a group of 20 young to middle aged people. They were all eager and anticipating a demonstration from their Waltz instructor Usami Akihiko and a lady instructor for the same class.

Seated on the polished floor full of scratches from years of being used, Misaki turned his head left and right, observing the excited faces of the people around him.

_"Is Usami-san really that great?"_ Misaki thought, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Uwah...too bad we cannot film it, ne?" Misaki heard coming from a girl with her hair braided.

"I know...but if we tried, we'll be in doom for sure so let's just record it with our heads..."

The other people laughed and continued waiting.

_"What's so good about him?"_ the teen frowned. _"He just sat there on that throne of his all the time while I exhaust myself to death..."_

The clicking of shoes and sharp sound produced by the high heeled shoes the woman was wearing silenced the practice room. As if the air had just become thick, everyone had the urge to gulp.

If Usami AKihiko was already serious before, his vibe, posture and face was more serious than ever.

The men and women in the practice room couldn't deny that what they would see was a professional demonstration.

Misaki, well, he just frowned. Thinking how showy his teacher was.

Usami walked in the middle of the practice room. His suit as if he would be in a competition, it just gave him the real "Silver Beast" effect. His eyes were fierce and yet there was something gentle in it.

"We'll show you first the standard handhold," Usami started, taking his follow's hand gently.

She was a pretty woman, but she became a different one wearing her short and figure sculpting and glittering dress.

Misaki just watched and listened at the lecture. When the music started and the demonstration was already starting, Misaki was still not very interested. He didn't have any reason to feel irritated but since that Takahiro day, he'd been like that. A part of himself wanting to rebel.

The music began slow. Like emphasizing that something was coming. The moment the silverhaired man started moving, leading the woman as if letting her fly away only to pull her close back to him, Misaki's jaws dropped to the ground.

Usami Akihiko was smiling. Never removing his gaze from his partner's eyes. Gently the two moved as if they were halves of two bodies that had become one with the music.

Watching them, for Misaki it seemed like everything turned dark and the spotlight only focused on the two dancing.

Entranced, hypnotized, and exciting, Misaki felt his muscles in him tingle. It was the first time he saw a real Waltz. And the first time he realized how beautiful a 'follow' could be if the 'lead' was great.

Slowly, panning closely, crazily, the woman's face faded into Misaki's mind and found himself the one holding on to the man.

_"Whoa there! What's that supposed to mean?!" The teen _moved his gaze away to no avail. For every time he tried to not look, the more he got the urge to watch.

And when the demonstration was done, everyone in the practice room was clapping. Everyone except Misaki who just stared blankly at the space where the two had danced. Too shocked to move. Too numb to feel that everyone had stood and started meeting with their partners on the floor.

Misaki just sat there. Sat in the middle of the men and women waltzing, imitating the demo earlier.

Misaki gulped when a pair of dark-polished shoes stopped before him. He raised his still shocked eyes.

"Move out of there, you're going to interrupt the others," Usami ordered, frowning at Misaki before walking away.

It was throbbing. Ticklish and hot. His chest was full. And his eyes continued following the broad back of the man.

_"When...how did this happen...?"_

* * *

Usami stared in awe at Misaki who was walking, almost hugging the walls and mirror for support. God knows where Sumi had gotten the high-heeled shoes he lent to Misaki. There was just one obvious thing Misaki noticed. Sumi was smiling like an idiot as the brunette started walking around with the red-highheeled shoes.

_"How...how did girls ever learn to balance in these towers?!"_ Misaki grunted, feeling the smooth surface of the mirror for support. He hasn't even started dancing and he felt like he had already done so much work out he could pass any minute. _"Grah...I can barely walk with this...how am I going to dance...?"_

Usami was still wearing the suit he wore earlier that day. It wasn't even obvious that he had been teaching four classes of Waltz and Tango just hours ago. His arms across his chest, his index finger started tapping impatiently waiting for his 'follow'.

"Unless you're planning on taking this until tomorrow, can you move faster?"

Misaki turned to look at Usami for a second and started, almost crawled towards his 'lead'. He was the human incarnate of a Tokyo highrise building wobbling during a magnitude six Earthquake.

_"Almost there...almost there..."_ Misaki chanted with his hands stretched out. _"If I fall...would he catch me?"_

The teen suddenly wanted to hurl at the creepy idea that suddenly went to him. He frowned as he stared at his feet being tortured by the tight fitting shoes.

_"Like hell he would...he would surely just watch me fall flat on my face..."_ Misaki bit his bottom lip, almost happy that he was a few feet away from his teacher and 'lead'.

Usami sighed and removed his dark coat, throwing it on the floor with a silent fall. He raised his hands to Misaki as if telling the teen to grab on to him.

"Standard Hold," Usami muttered, surprising Misaki.

_"Ah...so business as usual..."_

Misaki raised his right arm, and surprisingly, Usami took hold of Misaki's hand in a gentler manner than what Misaki was expecting. He almost jumped when the older man placed his other arm against his back. Misaki was so stunned about the crawling under his skin he froze.

"Psst...your other hand...where should you place it?" Usami asked, his breath brushing on top of Misaki's clipped hair.

_"Shit, this whole pretending thing had messed up my brain..."_ Misaki still head bowing, placed his left arm at the uppper side of the man's back.

Because of the height gap, it seemed like Misaki was having a lot of much hardship maintaining the position. They haven't started yet but he was already sore.

"Move closer to me," Usami ordered. But when Misaki refused to budge, he pulled Misaki to him, personal space gone in an instant.

"Takahashi, when you Waltz, you look into your partner's eyes only. Not on the floor, not at your feet or at the audience. You look at your partner."

Misaki nodded. "O-okay..."

The taller man sighed. "Then look at me!"

Like a frightened and confused kitten, Misaki raised his gaze. He almost stopped at the throat of his partner but he felt his hand would be crushed by the squeezing Usami was doing. He thought he's breath was snapped off of him when finally, lavender eyes met green ones. And Misaki suddenly wanted to sink under the floor or get sucked by the mirrors.

_"Shut up heart...calm down heart! What is wrong with you!? He'll totally feel you at this close range..."_ Misaki scolded himself, without him realizing that he was making a funny face.

"Takahashi," Usami rolled his eyes still holding the teen. "Are you constipated or what? The hell are you doing?"

Offended at the remark, Misaki pulled on a poker face and forced himself to stare at the gaze directed at him.

They started moving about the room with Usami doing the counting.

"1-2-3, 1-2-3..." his deep, voice enough to make the ladies swoon in that dance school counted. "Waltz is like courtship. The lead trying to make the follow feel safe. Making a connection. That's why eye contact is important."

Misaki gritted his teeth, barely following the beat. He was so afraid of falling but also conscious of holding too much at his partner.

"Takahashi, you're so stiff."

"But!"

"But?"

The teen sighed. "Uhm, can I ask you a question?"

When Usami moved forward, Misaki was supposed to move backward but still maintaining the close distance of their bodies, but they weren't synchronized at all. "Is...is it...that connection you're saying...does it mean like...'only love me when you dance'...kind of thing?" Misaki had asked the question trying to sound a matter of factly but he ended up like a stuttering mess.

The older man whirled around, dragging Misaki's clumsy feet around too. "You," the older man narrowed his eyes. "...are watching too much cheesy flicks. I don't believe in that."

"But...the demo earlier...you and the other teacher were so...passionate."

"You don't have to 'love' your dance partner while dancing. It's a plain trust in a professional level," he answered impatiently. Then moving backwards where Misaki was supposed to move forward, the teen ended up not following. "So...enough with sentimental shit and focus! You're mistakes are awful!"

They continued their awkward hold for more minutes when Usami finally stopped from moving his feet.

"Listen, you leave your body for me to lead. That's why I am the 'lead' and you 'follow' me... Are you afraid of falling down?" he asked with a raised brow. "Forget that," Usami then pulled Misaki close to him once more and for a split, millisecond, looked assuringly gentle. "I won't let you."

It still didn't go that smoothly unlike how in dramas after the main guy assured the girl, magically everything turned perfect. In Misaki's case he just became worse because his sweating hands and over reacting heart was messing his cool. Though Usami continued and still thought him the 'natural spin turn', the look of annoyance was there, making Misaki go to depressed mode.

"Practice doing that. Tomorrow I want you to be able to the turn properly. Understood?"

The teen bowed as his teacher was starting to head for the door. "Yes. Thank you for today."

* * *

As soon as the door clicked close, Misaki sat on the floor and hurriedly removed the shoes. His feet was really swollen and red. He grimaced when he poked the side of his toes. "Uwah...they're all cooked..."

Misaki stared at the pretty shoes that he had thrown across the practice room. He had suddenly remembered his mom used to wear shoes like that when she danced alone around their simple house.

_If dad fell in love with her while she's dancing, why did they divorce? Is love...just as shortlived just like how fast dancing ends?_

The teen started getting up, walking limply. He looked at the clock hanging by the wall and it said eight in the evening. Despite being tired, Misaki gathered his belongings and headed out of the practice room, doing a mental calculations of his time.

"Eight to nine or maybe ten...I'll be cleaning the practice rooms below...ten to 12, I'll practice...12 to 4 I'll sleep...then 4 to 7 practice..."

As Misaki walked barefooted towards his lodging at the second floor of the building, Misaki hugged his bag. He didn't want to see the look of disappointment Usami gave him before heading out of the practice room just a while ago. It stabbed him real good. Pride and soul.

* * *

Normally, there were three people cleaning and maintaining the practice rooms at night. But that night, Misaki found himself alone with the mop and the pale with him.

Misaki whirled around, feeling the entire fourth floor where all the practice rooms, aside from the practice room he and Usami was using where located expand even more. He wanted to suddenly just crawl back to his room and sleep.

Earlier, Makoto-san, a middle aged man asked Misaki to cover for him that night because his daughter, living in another town would be having her parents-teacher day the next day. Misaki didn't want Makoto-san to miss it so he agreed. But then, the other one, Tamaki-san, a fiftyish man called in sick. Leaving poor Misaki alone.

"So much for my schedule..." he mumbled, finally starting his cleaning spree.

He polished the mirrors bigger and wider than him. Mopped the floors that felt like 20 basketball courts put together all in all. Once in a while, the teen would stop and do the turn despite his aching feet. He teary eyed closed the final lights and slower than a snail headed to his free room. He didn't even had the energy to shower or eat, much more practice.

For when Misaki was done with his work, it was already three in the morning.

* * *

He knocked on the door softly. With his other hand he was carrying plastic container with food and his other one, his bag. Sumi knocked once more but remembering how Misaki slept on the trains he doubted that such knocking would wake him. That was why he started kicking the door loudly.

"Misaki-chan...time to wake up! My mom made a lot of gyoza last night so I brought you some!"

The teen rolled to his side, shocked from the sight of the first thing he saw after opening his droopy eyes.

"What the?! It's almost time for our practice and I haven't done any preparation!"

Misaki showered as fast as a lighting bolt, feeling the rawness in his feet. When he went out the room, he was barely even able to walk that Sumi had to help Misaki.

"Oi, you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard? Just call it a day and rest..." Sumi offered, grimacing at the sight of how Misaki was trying to walk. The hall from Misaki's room was empty except the two of them. But as soon as they reached the area where there were already a lot of people, almost instantly, Misaki's limp walking disappeared as if nothing was wrong.

_"If I complained that I worked late, my feet are aching...he'd conclude that as whining...I don't want that..."_

"I'm fine!"

Narrowing his eyes though, Sumi could see the trickle of sweat forming at the teen's neck.

"I don't think you're fit to attend your training you know," Sumi started opening the container taking a piece of Gyoza and stuffing them into Misaki's mouth. "Here, eat while walking..."

"Twank yu..." Misaki mumbled chewing on the Gyoza hungrily.

"Here, more."

Usami had been waiting for already fifteen minutes just at the regular practice room he and Misaki was using all the time. He went in when he saw from a distance a laughing Misaki and a joking Sumi while stuffing the food into the teen's mouth.

Reaching the door, Misaki bowed gratefully. "Thank you Sumi-senpai! See you later."

"Good luck! And I told you, don't push yourself too much!"

* * *

When he slid the doors glass doors open, Misaki felt a chill run down his spine. His black jacket on his back couldn't compare to the blackness of the vibe that he felt inside the practice room. The music created by Johann Strauss which they usually use during practice felt like a a dead song, playing faintly in the background.

Sitting on the floor with his back turned away from his 'lead', Misaki began the laborious task of fitting his feet back into the hellish shoes. But more than that, he already forgot the pain of his blisters because of thinking about one thing.

_"He's definitely in a bad mood...I can feel it..." _Misaki sighed._ "I didn't want to be late like this..."_

"If you got time to flirt around then I suggest you try to come here early!"

Misaki stood, gulping in the painful grunt in his throat when he started walking towards the other man in the room. "Flirti-"

"So," Usami cut in. "Like I told you last night, do the turn before we head to the Hover Corte."

Misaki stood there for a moment. Unable to decide if he should just tell Usami that he overslept and wasn't able to practice at all, the teen started looking at his sides which annoyed the man before him even more.

"I'm waiting. Do some warming up then show me your turn."

If Usami wasn't looking so irrate in the morning, Misaki would have offered him some of the Gyoza Sumi had given him. But by the way things were, Misaki chose to shut his mouth and wobbly, did some stretching and then took the stance to do the turn holding on to an imaginary partner.

_"Oww...It's worse than last night...my thigh..."_ the teen could feel his head heating up at the effort of trying to maintain a straight face. If he couldn't do it, Usami would get angry. But if he couldn't do it and would complain that his feet were all sore and that he felt like he was already having cramps, he was sure the man would get furious.

All this thinking, Misaki again had gone to his habit of staring into space. Before he knew it, Usami was already at the door, clearly fed up from waiting for how long Misaki didn't know.

"Usami-sen-"

Stopping from his tracks, Usami slammed this palm against the glass doors that it rattled. "If you are doing this half-heartedly then you can just quit. I don't need half-assed results from someone who's not taking this seriously."

"But I-"

"You're nothing special."

"..."

"And we can always look for a replacement. So do me a favor and continue your day dreaming."

Misaki stared at the doors that had been slid shut. Slowly stepping out of the shoes, Misaki went to the cassette playing the music. And sniffing he turned it off.

* * *

The whole day, many students of Waltz and Tango did their best as they were told. Normally they were allowed to make a few mistakes but by just the meer sour look of their instructor, they didn't dare push the wrong buttons and studied and practiced as well as they could.

By the time the sun had gone off to its rest, the students had been one by one going home. Usami on the other hand was on his chair, wiping the sweat that had formed under his neck.

"See you tomorrow...sensei," a couple of men and women greeted before heading out. They all had towels around their necks ad were eager to go the shower rooms to wash off the sticky sweat.

As soon as the practice room became empty, Usami threw in his things in his huge bag and decided to come back to the practice room reserved supposedly for Misaki's training. He remembered some of his CDs were still there and he hated leaving them like that because it was a part of his collection.

Finally getting off from the fourth floor to the eight floor, the man stepped out of the elevator and walked silently. He wasn't making any sound as he walked and remembering the early day's event, he just frowned even more.

Still a little far from where he was planning to go, Usami noticed a guy in a yellow overalls peeking inside of the practice room he was heading. He walked faster and the guy, who looked about in his early fourties looked curiously at Usami.

"Hello sir!" the man greeted. "Uhm...I am looking for Takahashi Misaki?"

Usami maintained a neutral face and looked inside the room through the glass doors. "He's not here, obviously."

The man in the overalls then extended a plastic container containing native sweets. He was happily giving it to Usami that the latter felt like accepting it.

"I'm sorry for imposing on you but could you give this to her when you see him around? She called in sick so there's no way I could give it to her."

The taller man still sweaty from all the teachings he did stared at the plastic ware and at the grinning man. If Usami could remember this overalls were the uniform of the maintainance department of that building. He frowned.

"You see, that's from Makoto-san and from me. We were both absent last night so the poor girl had to clean the practice rooms all alone last night. We even heard she was there until three in the morning..."

'Wait," Usami cut in. "Takahashi is working...as a help here?"

The man with thinning hair on top of his head looked confused. "Eh, you didn't know Sir? Misaki-chan would always tell us stories about you so we thought you know how she got in here..."

"Got in?"

Scratching his head as if unsure whether to tell the guy in front of him or not, he smiled.

"Uhm...you're her sensei anyway so I guess it's fine..." the shorter man muttered. "Err, Misaki-chan was able to get in STU without paying but in exchange she helps out around the building with us after your evening practice. She looked always tired but still has the energy to make us laugh and work. Just last night, the other helps were absent so to make up for her, we bought these sweets and some medicines..."

There were a couple of seconds that passed before the man bowed at Usami.

"Well then, I'm off. Thank you sir."

Usami watched the short man disappear after making a turn. All alone standing in the hallway, he stared at the colorful sweets he could see in the ware.

_"If you are doing this half-heartedly then you can just quit. I don't need half-assed results from someone who's not taking this seriously."_

"Shit."

* * *

chapter end notes;

thanks for the warm support!

-shuusetsu


	4. Step 4

**To Dance with Him **  
**-step 4-**

* * *

He stared at the door. It was gray and smaller than the rest of the office doors in the building. Not long ago he had been seeing this as a storage room. He had no idea that this very same room where the Dancesport department had used to stuff unwanted things had become a room for someone. Technically for people living far from home. But so far, there was only a person using it. Takahashi Misaki.

He sighed and knocked on the door using the front side of his shoe. His other hand holding the sweets the man earlier had asked him to give to the teen, the other one holding a paper bag.

He stood there, waiting for any response but there was just silence. The building was starting to get deserted since students, instructors and office workers were already heading out to their homes. So standing there with nothing but the defeaning quiet made the waiting longer.

"I'm soon breaking this door down..." Usami grunted.

Like a normal reflex, he threw all what he was carrying on his other hand and turned the knob. He got surprised that it turned open with a click obligingly.

Pushing the door open, a blinding white light greeted Usami. There were two double decks inside the room but only the bottom part of the one on the left side seemed to be the only one being occupied. He didn't step in though. He just observed, wondering where a sick person would be.

Just then a narrow door opened. And Misaki emerged half naked with only his pants on. He had thrown up on himself that he had no choice but to wash his chest and stomach despite him freezing.

For a moment, Misaki just stood there like he had lost the ability to move.

_"Oh my god...this...this is the worst!"_

Having the baby blue towel in his hand, Misaki raised it before him in an attempt to hide and cover himself. But it was all too late. Usami was there on his doorstep, and totally saw him without breasts like a girl should.

It must be the most stupid thing to worry about, having no breasts, but Misaki was as sure as hell had been busted by none other than his teacher and 'lead'.

Usami Akihiko had a blank face before stepping in and hurriedly slamming the door shut behind him.

The teen backed away, wanting to lock himself in the bathroom.

Misaki felt like his head was about to split into half. His chest was drumming, and he was on the verge of crying.

"U-Usami-san...I can...I can explain!"

The older man placed the stuff he was carrying on the lower bunk of the other double deck slowly. He then stood eyeing the shaking teen before him. Whether it was the fever or the fright that was making Misaki tremble, Usami wasn't sure. But he figured it was both.

The teen coughed for a long while and hiding his face in embarassing tears, he buried his face on the towel he was holding and never moved on the spot where he was standing.

The sound of the footsteps coming closer made Misaki go stiff all the more. He didn't dare take a peek and just hid his pathetic self behind the small towel.

A sigh filled Misaki's sense of hearing before he felt something on his arm. It was hot and firm and the way it held his flesh was enough to make him fall on the floor. He didn't even had the strenght to yank his arm off. In the end, he let Usami's hand lead him towards wherever while he still had the towel on his face with his other hand.

After a couple of blind steps, he felt the back of his knees hit something. With a push on his shoulders, he found himself seated on what seemed and felt like his bed. And one push again and he was falling into the comfort of his futon.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Misaki mumbled under the towel, muffling his voice.

Usami on the other hand didn't say anything. He walked about the room, towards the bathroom. And when he returned he had a small basin with a towel in his hand. The man didn't utter a single word. He just forcefully yanked the towel Misaki was using to hide his face and replaced it with the towel he wet with the cold water.

The bed creaked having to support the weight of two people.

Misaki almost shrieked when he felt the hem of his pants roll to his knees.

"Usam-"

"Shut up."

Not long, soft fingers started massaging his foot, softly and gently. The hands went up to his legs, squeezing the muscles, loosening the cramp and tired tissues in Misaki's limbs.

"You should really stop crying there, you know," Usami mumbled, still massaging the feet with blisters on the side.

Because there wasn't any sound aside from Misaki's endless hiccupping, it sounded even louder to the point that it was hurting Usami's ears.

Misaki pulled the wet towel on his forehead and plastered it on his face to hide again.

"Are you an idiot? Don't take it off!"

Taking the wet towel off Misaki's face once more, he folded it neatly and made sure it would stick nicely on the teen's sweating forehead.

"I'm sorry."

"Cut it out."

Trying to pull his legs off of Usami's lap, he raised his knee only for Usami to smack it a little harder.

"Oww! You don't have to hit it..." Misaki sobbed.

"Then stay still!"

Misaki just whined there. All the whining and sobbing he had been trying to ignore for the last, eternity -like days had started spilling out of him he found it hard to stop.

"There's nothing for you to cry there, I am getting annoyed already!" Usami shouted, but still his massaging went on.

"But..." Misaki hiccuped and sniffed. "I am not a girl. I deceived people...you...openly..."

The two on the bed, Misaki on his back hiccuping, Usami sitting as he massaged the tense muscles, never in his wildest imagination that it would come to this. Misaki felt so sad, ashamed and embarrassed at the same time that his fever seemed to have just gotten worse.

Changing to Misaki's left foot, Usami without a hint of disgust held on to Misaki's foot raw and blistered skin. Massaging it gently, pressing on the sole and the skin that has gotten thick from all the dancing they did.

"I know," Usami mumbled as he started putting ointment on Misaki's foot. "I knew you weren't a girl from the very start."

It was like a spell that worked on Misaki. Or to put it better, those words acted like duct tapes shutting Misaki's sobbing.

"H-hai?" Misaki asked, lifting his body by putting on his weight on both his elbows. "How?"

Focused on what he was doing, he didn't look at Misaki though he answered. "I just know."

That made Misaki all the more confused. He secured the sliding wet towel on his forehead with his left hand while knitting his brows.

"Why... didn't you tell everyone about... me?"

There was a long pause. Even Usami's massaging had stopped. To Misaki's surprise, the older man slightly turned his head in his direction. Looking straight into Misaki's blood-shot eyes.

"That, I wonder."

When Usami reached out to Misaki's face, the teen thought the man would just check on the towel on his forehead. However, Misaki found darkness when all Usami's hand did was block his eyes as the huge hand hovered above his eyes.

"It's my bad for assuming you know how to ease tense muscles after hours of practice. Next time, when you feel something, speak up."

Misaki blinked inspite of the hand above his eyes. This gentleness was foreign. This softness was torture. His eyes hurt. He was sure it hurt not because of his previous crying. Not because of his fever even. His eyes started to hurt when something in his small, heaving chest started to ache. Reasons he was still not ready to accept but so willfully making his heart ache it showed in his eyes, trickling down on his hairline to the white pillow under his head.

The teen bit his pale bottom lip when he saw a faint smile from the space on Usami's hand before drifting to sleep. "I must be crazy."

* * *

It was Sunday evening. No classes, no practice, nothing at all for Misaki to do. It has been a one boring, useless day to the teen that when he saw the time on his phone, he finally decided to get out of the building and have some fresh air.

He wore a cap and the usual pink, cutesy shirt and denim pants. Leaving the building for the first time after so many days of being inside it felt like he was a turtle that just got hatched from its shell and was eager to run towards the raging waves of the sea. Misaki was excited. Though he was feeling a failure on the sides.

"I said I'd look for my brother and father...but I don't even have a clue about them at all..." Misaki looked at the afternoon sky and sighed. "Talk about wishful thinking, me..."

He still walked and walked, unable to decide what to do. He didn't want to go buy something or even go see something. Misaki knew the reason but he was too hard still to accept it. Restless at the sudden gentleness his teacher had showed him for a short time only to go back to the natural treatment soon after was disturbing. Misaki wished he didn't get to experience that. He would be better off not knowing Usami had a humane side to him. But there it was, the memory and the soft voice telling him to go to sleep. The careful massage he felt on his sore feet. And that faint smile as Usami said "I wonder..."

"I must have really gotten crazy...Idiot...you're an eternal idiot..."

After an hour of directionless walking, Misaki found a empty back to back bench and sat on it. There were various kinds of flowers in bloom in the flower bed and a water fountain in the form of a fish without running water in it. The dry breeze caressed Misaki's cheeks and before he knew it, sleep was getting to him. But his trance was broken by a girl's sob.

"I knew it. He isn't even treating me kindly but I still love him! Damn it..."

Misaki didn't dare turn around but he was sure that there were two people who had occupied the other side of the bench where he was seated. Making him an unwilling listener.

"Why Mika? Why do I always fall for jerks?"

The other girl sighed. Misaki could even imagine the look on the girl's face. "Yuna...it's natural. People who are jerks by nature who suddenly show a soft side can tug more heartstrings than a regular kind dude. It's just how it is. Because they're jerks you can't help but think about them, fall to them...I guess...that's what you call reverse psychology?"

The girl on the comforting side rattled on.

"You want to hate the person but end up liking them because they're a puzzle. You can't help but hope because why would they show a glimpse of their kindness if they didn't feel anything of something for you, right?"

The girl who was named Yuna, the one crying about falling in love to the jerks stopped crying. "You think there's a chance he really likes me?"

"Yeah...just give it time...he'll open up to you in no time...don't cry anymore okay?"

Misaki was tempted to look at the girls behind him. Those girls made the problem sound so damn simple and well, optimistic. Shyly, Misaki wanted to believe what the "Mika" girl said, only to feel like a stone had been smashed on his head.

"What the hell is with this script? So cheesy. Love in real world doesn't work like this!" Misaki smiled like he was about to cry.

"Yeah...jerks are jerks...what gentleness and give it time so that the guy would open up to you? That only happens in animes and mangas...COOL- ALOOF -GUY-TREATS-TIMID-GIRL-LIKE-HE-DOESN'T-CARE, TIMID-GIRL-STAYS-GETS-SICK-ALOOF-GUY-COMES-TO-THE- RESCUE-THEY-HIT-IT-OFF-AND-HAPPY ENDING. BOW. Really, that plot is way too old and simple and unrealistic! Though we can't help it, this is the script..."

"God I am going to barf..."

Misaki felt the bench move a little and realized the two girls which were just reading a script for some sort of play had left and went away. He looked down at his clasped hands.

_"Isn't there...like some sort of exception though? What if, there's really a chance?"_

After asking that, Misaki had the sudden urge to take the fish statue before him off its pedestal and pound his head against it.

* * *

"No, there isn't a chance..." Misaki thought as he dug his nails on the linen seat of some expensive restaurant.

He locked his gaze at the untouched cake before him. If he was in another situation, that mouthwatering dessert wouldn't even last for a minute on that plate. But Misaki's mouth was bitter and rough like he just ate the sand from the aquariums of the seafood restaurant they were. Even without him looking, he could still make out the figure of two grown men before him. Suho Takahiro and Usami Akihiko.

Misaki's illusions just got crushed. And he didn't know how to act on it.

It replayed once more in the teen's head how a red car looking hip and foreign had slowed down on the road as if following him. When Misaki looked inside the car window which the panes had been rolled down, he instantly saw his 'lead' Usami Akihiko on the driver's seat. But when he looked farther in, he saw the guy who called Usami as "Usagi".

The air around the car was tense and quite formal. And despite Misaki not being properly dressed, they, or Takahiro insisted they eat in that place and talk. After the main course of subtle exotic fish caught in some faraway ocean, the dessert had been delivered. Misaki was feeling off about the unnatural feeling but there weren't much people in the restaurant that gave him room to act however he liked.

That was when Suho Takahiro slowly placed a picture across Misaki on the table. His green eyes looked up questioningly.

"Please take a look..."

Leaning closer to the picture, Misaki felt his hair on his nape had stiffened. He looked at the photo closely and at Takahiro's face alternatingly.

"This...this is my mom..." he weakly murmured.

Takahiro who was sitting close with Usami smiled sadly. His business suit looked like he just went into a funeral. "It's the picture of my mom too in my father's room. The first time I saw you in that practice room, i thought you looked exactly someone I have seen before...I...didn't know I had a brother until our father told me before he died two years ago..."

Misaki just stared at the photo. There he was being served with the goal he was wanting of meeting his brother and father but he felt as empty as a shell.

"I was just able to put the pieces together a week ago. Sorry if I took time to gather the courage to meet you..."

Misaki looked from the photo to Takahiro, expressionless. "A week ago?"

"Yes...Usagi was with me that time when I brought the subject up with him. He was even the one who pointed out the similarities between you and the woman in the picture..."

_It was exactly a week ago that I got sick..._

"But I wasn't ready yet to face you...having a brother out of nowhere shocked me, I guess. And since I also initially thought you were a girl..."

Misaki abruptly turned his gaze at the silver haired man who was just listening silently. _So he told him..._

Takahiro grabbed Misaki's cold hand on the table and squeezed it. "I felt this connection when we shook hands the first time...even now my heart is beating wildly...because maybe of what they call blood-rush between family?"

The brother, Misaki could not call 'Nii-san' so instantly grinned happily, the happiness clear on his face. On the other hand, while Misaki's chest was beating like crazy, it wasn't because of the 'blood-rush' Takahiro had said. The more Misaki thought about it, the more the cake had become less appealing.

Of course he wasn't happy hearing that their dad had died even before he could see him. But Misaki had never met and knew the man that the pain wasn't as great when his mom died. One more weird thing was instead of the teen being happy that he at least got to meet the older brother, he felt so utterly miserable.

"I see..." Misaki smiled bitterly._ "He became concerned and showed me kindness when I fell ill because a week ago, he already found out that I am that man's little brother..."_ Misaki couldn't contain it anymore that he had lowered his head and his shoulder began shaking.

_"He was so kind with me when I got sick because of that...I'm so embarrassed. I am so ashamed I could die..."_

* * *

When the trio went out of the restaurant towards the parking lot, Misaki inhaled warm feel of the surroundings. He had his head still lowered and his eyes fixed on his footsteps while Takahiro had hos arms around Misaki's shoulder. The parking lot was silent and deserted. Only the blinking lights of the lamposts with the flies playing around it was their other companion.

"Hora...Misaki-chan...please don't look so down. Aren't you happy that fate led us to meet each other?" the older man cooed, ruffling Misaki's soft hair.

"I'm happy..." the teen answered meekly, still looking down.

Takahiro and Usami exchanged glances before Takahiro ruffled Misaki's hair once more. "You don't have to call me 'Nii-chan' right away...but I am hoping we could get to know each other better..."

After a few seconds, Misaki felt the heavy arm on his shoulders slid off. Curious he finally lifted his gaze to see Usami and Takahiro exchanging a manly hug.

"I'll take Takahashi back to STU in my car," Usami assured.

"You really saved me Usagi! If not for a business meeting I'd want to spend the night with my little brother..."

Misaki couldn't help but scowl. The teen took a step forward suddenly, his face serious.

"Nii-chan!" Misaki called with a stern voice. "Aren't you going to ask me why I am pretending to be a girl? Aren't you disgusted that your little brother...your little brother...might be gay?!"

There was an understanding smile that formed on Takahiro's lips. He appeared like an angel of understanding that when Misaki sheepishly took a stolen glance at Usami Akihiko, he was sure of the admiration glinting into those lavender orbs.

"Misaki..." Takahiro started but then got cut off when a black car parked right behind the man.

The car windows rolled down, and a man with blonde hair and amber eyes peeked out of it. "Takahiro, you're going to be late with your flight to Hokkaido...let's go!"

The man glanced at the blonde and nodded before looking back at his little brother.

"Whether you're a girl or a boy or something in between, you don't have anything to worry..." Takahiro glanced at the man in the car. "Hozaka, this is my little brother Misaki...Misaki...this is Hozaka-san...my partner."

* * *

The black car drove off like a black shooting star. Fast and instantly it disappeared into Misaki's view. The red car was there waiting and yet, when Misaki looked up at the man standing silently near him, Misaki caught his breath stuck in his chest. As if his lungs had stopped filtering oxygen.

Just that look, Misaki knew, Usami Akihiko adored Takahiro, his big brother more than friends. That look said it all. When he thought about that deeper and his stupid, messed up emotions, Misaki didn't care anymore about being blunt or who was older or younger or didn't even cared about tact.

"Usami-san, you're in love with my brother."

The older man just gazed from afar, like watching was enough. Like it was something he was used to doing ever since the start. "You think so?"

_Stupid...stupid...this is stupid...you look at him like that why didn't you say anything if you were bestfriends...?_

The taller man suddenly looked down beside him. He got surprised when the young boy pretending to be a girl had started crying on the spot. Messily, noisely, the teen started crying as if he was frustrated with something.

"Oi...why are you crying?" Usami asked, about to reach on Misaki's shoulders.

But Misaki suddenly raised his tear-stricken face. His cheeks puffy, his eyes glassy.

Out of nowhere, Usami patted Misaki on the head, smiling like how Misaki remembered before he fell asleep when he was having a fever a week ago. Instinctively, he slapped the hand away and moved a few steps back.

"What's that for?!"

"You're a good kid, aren't you?"

"Ha?! Where did that come from?"

Usami looked up for a while as if thinking. "You were crying for me, right?"

"Who's crying for you? You narcistic king!?" Misaki growled. "I...I AM CRYING FOR MYSELF!"

Finally deciding to open the automatic lock of his car using his electronic keys, he pressed on the red button with his long finger and the car beeped twice. Misaki ran towards the back seat. But Usami sure heard something the teen had mumbled.

"Why do people fall to someone who already has someone else? It's cruel..."

Usami pulled the door to the driver's seat and hopped in. His gaze landed right away at the rearview mirror. He watched for a moment how Misaki was rubbing intently on his eyes before looking out the window. He pressed on the accelarator slowly as if preparing the car for a full speed ride ahead.

Being older, Usami didn't want to interpret things. But what he heard from Misaki with that face and attitude was as good as hearing "Why do I like you when you like him?"

* * *

chapter end notes:

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-shuusetsu


End file.
